Red Bourbon
by Chatterbox Angel
Summary: When Akai Shuichi finds himself injured at a Black Organization hideout and his fate falls in the hands of one Furuya Rei, he's almost certain he's going to end up dead. To his surprise, Bourbon doesn't take him to Gin but to his own apartment, where questions are answered and a certain relationship forever changes. Akai/Rei Spoilers up to chapter 957


Red Bourbon

Cursing violently and clutching his bleeding right shoulder, Akai threw himself behind a stack of crates as he watched Conan and Ai sneak out through a nearby garbage shoot. When the young detective had come knocking on his door, screaming about the young scientist getting kidnapped, Akai hadn't thought twice about jumping in his car and chasing after the white windowless van. Neither of them had been expecting to meet the Black Organization at the warehouse Ai had been taken to (in a WHITE van?!), and a single moment's hesitation had led him to his now desperate situation- alone and injured, with a broken voice changer, trapped inside a Black Organization base of operations.

As blood continued leaking from his injured shoulder and his breathing grew more shallow, Akai tried to figure out his best option for escape. Injured as he was, he could be neither quick nor agile, so slinking through shadows wouldn't work. And the trash shoot he'd pushed Conan and Ai through had just barely been big enough for the two not-children. Maybe, be could…

"Okiya Subaru? What are you doing here?" The shocked tone of an oddly familiar voice interrupted his musings, and Akai looked up to see Furuya Rei…no, Bourbon standing above him. Well, there was no helping it now. His secret identity was no longer safe. It's not like he could just remain silent in this situation. After all, it was his shoulder, not his throat, that was so obviously injured.

Sighing heavily, Akai answered, "Conan-kun witnessed Haibara-chan being kidnapped, and we followed the kidnappers here. Didn't know all of you had been invited to this little party." He watched as Bourbon's eyes widened in surprise, and he could almost see the gears turning in the other man's head, connecting all the pieces, before those eyes narrowed into a glare. And that much was expected, but his following actions were anything but. Growling in some sort of combination of anger and frustration, Bourbon grabbed Akai by the arm, hefted him off the ground, and began dragging him to safety.

"Why are you helping me?" the FBI agent asked. Even though they'd made that unspoken sort of compromise over the phone a few months back, this was still the perfect opportunity for revenge and for Bourbon's foothold in the Organization to become as strong as steel in concrete. Certainly, turning Akai in was also far less of a risk to his own person as well.

"As much as I hate you and would love to turn you over to the organization," Bourbon answered after he'd somehow gotten them out without being seen, tossed Akai into the passenger's seat, and climbed into the driver's side. "Conan-kun, he…well, I think he knew asking me to be your ally really wouldn't fucking work, but he asked me not to be your enemy."

"Ah," was all Akai managed to grunt out. By this point, he'd lost a lot of blood (not enough to be life threatening, but still), and it was getting difficult to breath, let alone talk. But at least, at this point, he could sort of relax. Bourbon was smart and had a great deal of integrity. Maybe he didn't make a promise to the young detective, but he'd implied one with those words (and his earlier actions) to Akai. Whatever was going to happen to him now, Akai knew that, at the very least, Bourbon wasn't going to kill him or turn him over to the organization and was probably taking him somewhere it was safe to get help. With that reassuring knowledge, the FBI agent's brain and body relaxed enough to allow him to escape the pain and slip into unconsciousness.

He didn't know how long he was out, but when he awoke, Akai was unsurprised to find himself in an unfamiliar place but grateful that he was obviously in a bed and that his injury had been properly taken care of. The bandage and sling felt restrictive but not uncomfortable, kind of the like the mask he wore as Okiya Subaru that he could feel had been removed from his face. He groaned in pain as he pushed himself up into a sitting position before elbowing the pillows behind him into a more comfortable configuration to get some actual support for his back. Just that little bit of movement had him breathing hard. Akai groaned again as he looked around the room; it looked like a minimalist guest room (designed by someone who had the room but seldom had guests).

"You know, those sounds aren't nearly as satisfying as I thought they'd be," Furuya Rei's voice floated over from the now opened door, and the FBI agent's gaze followed the sound to see a very disappointed looking member of the secret police.

"They never are," Akai replied quietly, knowing quite well from experience that revenge never gave the avenger what they really wanted or were looking for. True, he'd never managed to kill Akemi's murderer, but he had managed to infuriate and piss off Gin a number of times, enough times to see the man's facial expression twisted into the closest thing to agony that monster ever felt. But yeah, he had never really found it satisfying. At most, he felt a bit vindicated. No, his quest for revenge for Akemi never gave him any feelings of closure or gratification. The only thing that had ever brought him any sort of peace after Akemi's death was by granting her final request, by protecting her little sister scientist.

"Why you?" Rei growled, grabbed Akai by the shirt, and pulled him out of his thoughts quite literally. "If it weren't for you, Scotch wouldn't…damn you…why the hell did I save you?"

"You aren't the only one who has lost a great deal to the Black Organization, Furuya-san," Akai commented as calmly as possible as he turned a bit to the left, trying to relieve a bit of the pressure on his right shoulder Rei caused with his sudden movements. "And you know, I was asking myself the very same question as you dragged me to your car."

"It was all your fault," Rei growled again. "And he was more than "a great deal". He was important, damn it. He was my… Forget it." It seemed that the man could reign in his anger almost as quickly as it exploded. Sighing, he helped Akai move back into his original sitting position, obviously not bothering to offer more pillows or to help make him more comfortable. To be honest, the man had already done far more for him that Akai had ever expected or, hell, even hoped.

"I want some answers," Rei said, pulling the chair from the desk over to the bed before sitting down.

"I figured as much," Akai responded drily. After all, it was one of the more innocuous reasons that the man who hated him would save him.

"Tell me about Conan Edogawa," Rei demanded. "There's a reason you worked with him, beyond his intelligence. The reason behind it, hell the reason an unrelated seven year old is even involved with the Black Organization. There must be a secret. So, tell me, what the hell is it? And why the hell are you using him instead of protecting him?! Are you trying to get another innocent person killed? This time a CHILD?!"

"A child, who's a mere seven years old as you so kindly pointed out, has a sharper mind and keener intellect that most police and FBI agents to the point where it rivals (' _or maybe even surpasses', Akai thought to himself_ ) ours. Of course, there's a secret," Akai retorted with a wide smirk, unable to help himself even in a situation such as this. "But I haven't known it as long as you seem to think, and it's really not my place to tell. I figured it out on my own, and you have access to just as much information pertaining to his secret as I do. If he trusts you enough to keep you close, you'll figure it out eventually. As for the rest of it…"

"He's still a _child_ ," Rei growled again, his fists clenched in such a way that made Akai wonder if he was about to get punched in the face. "No matter how intelligent he is. That secret that you're so intent on keeping is going to get him killed! He's getting too close, but with my current position, I might actually be able to save him before he really gets in too far…"

Akai sighed, feeling the urge to reach out and offer some sort of physical comfort to the man sitting next to him, but he knew it wouldn't be accepted. After all, Akai highly respected Rei and could almost profess a certain fondness for him, but Rei simply hated his guts. Unfortunately, in this situation, words were all he had, but maybe it was okay to reveal a little more than he had originally planned…just a smidge…

"The secret is actually something that has saved his life on multiple occasions," Akai said slowly, bracing himself for the new wave of curiosity he knew Rei was about to give off. "The secret is also the reason why he's even involved with the Black Organization in the first place. It's not something he was ever able to just walk away from, but thanks to him, we have gained a most amazing ally. And that ally is actually the key to almost everything now: to why the FBI, CIA, and Japanese police can work together, to why we know about more code-named organization members than ever before, and to why we've come far closer to bringing down the Black Organization in the last two years than ever before."

"That makes no sense," Rei commented. "You're essentially telling me he's safer as he is now than any other way, which is insane. And it almost sounds like you're telling me he was destined to clash with the Black Organization…"

"Someday, when you know everything," Akai promised. "If he tells you his story, you'll understand why sometimes, it almost feels like it is his destiny. But more realistically, he'd chase after them no matter what anyone said or did. Honestly, at this point, no one could stop him. And I'm sure you know, but he can be really reckless when pursuing the truth or if his friends are in trouble. It's better to be an ally he trusts, so you are in a position with more ability to protect him."

Silence fell after that, and the FBI agent actually felt awkward sitting there, under intense incredulity and scrutiny that was surprisingly lacking curiosity. Like, how the hell was a police detective so able to hide his thirst for knowledge? Apparently, Rei's desire to keep Conan safe truly and completely outweighed the natural curiosity. Well, he'd have to hand it to the not-child detective…he'd made a most powerful ally this time.

"Fine," Rei huffed out a sigh of frustration. "I'll figure it out on my own, but if I find out you're lying and that he's not actually safer as is, well, the consequences won't even bear thinking about. I refuse to let a child suffer the same fate as Scotch just because you made another mistake. Also, I expect to meet this "most amazing ally"…soon." And with that final parting shot, Rei stood and exited the room, leaving a bemused Akai in his wake.

The following days were very…odd. There was no other way to describe it. For all his obvious hatred and newly found festering annoyance with the injured man, Rei was taking surprisingly good care of Akai. Not only was he taking care thorough care of the shoulder injury and bringing nutritious meals regularly but also sat down at least once or twice a day to have conversations with Akai. Granted, said conversations were extremely tense, awkward, and stilted, but they were still conversations and infinitely preferable to sitting by himself in silence.

The man also made sure that Akai wouldn't be alone with nothing but his thoughts to occupy him during the long absences that are attributed to anyone with a life outside their own house. Before the FBI agent arrived, the room in which he now lived contained little more than a bed, desk, and dresser, but on the second day of his stay, Rei had brought in a television and his own personal electronic reader stating, "Don't complain about your reading choices. You'll just have to deal with my personal preferences. Of course, he'd also tacked on an explanation for this unexpected bout of thoughtfulness just to really hit home that he was being practical, not kind. "It's easy to use one-handed, and we both know how stupid it would be for you to leave this room."

It was sad, Akai reflected, just how true that statement was. Because as a codenamed member of the Black Organization, it would be absolutely no surprise for Bourbon to be under surveillance for any number of reasons, and while curtains could block video, they couldn't block everything (like motion and heat sensors). And until he regained full use of his arm (and a new voice changer), Akai would be unable to disguise himself as Subaru-san.

Still, he was extremely grateful for the consideration Rei seemed to be giving him. Apparently, death from boredom isn't something the man would wish even on his worst enemy, and the electronic reader had actually proved to lead to a very interesting chance for deduction and pseudo confirmation. On the reader, there were several predictable files: detective novels, a selection of random but highly useful nonfiction books, and a number of current event newspaper articles and links. On the other hand, there was also a folder filled with dozens of romance novels…smutty romance novels…smutty gay romance novels. As a bisexual man himself, Akai obviously had no issue with such books, but it did kind of confirm what he'd started suspecting about the relationship between Rei and the man whom Akai knew only as "Scotch". The way the blonde had spoken about Scotch had made Akai wonder if there was more than friendship between the two, and now that he'd found the romance novels, he was sure that, at the very least, Rei had loved Scotch. After all, the fierceness and devastation with which he'd acted afore told a story of the agony that came with the death of someone he cared for far more than his own self.

Anyway, for the first few days, Akai found himself mostly reading the detective novels, because romance stories really weren't his thing. But after he made his way through the first half a dozen or so mysteries, the FBI agent found himself wondering what the romance novel were like. So, he decided to check at least one out, just for the sheer novelty of it even if nothing else and found himself enraptured in an oddly endearing tale of werewolves, vampires, and a human (who turned out to be a shapeshifter) just trying to live their lives and falling in love. The story was fairly simple, but it had a good plot and decent character development, and the sex was actually really, really hot. With a great deal less reluctance, he moved on to reading the other romance stories. He should've know someone with Furuya Rei's intellect would have really good taste, even in trashy romance novels.

A few weeks after he first arrived at the apartment, Rei actually interrupted him while he was reading one and expressed surprise when he noticed what title was displayed across the top of the screen. In response, the FBI agent merely shrugged and commented, "They're more interesting than the mystery novels."

"You don't seem like the type," Rei replied, his tone just slightly cautious. The police detective had assumed his sort of guest would notice the romance novels but largely ignore them.

"You're right. I generally don't read romance novels, but you've got good taste, and there's decent variety in the subgenres. And reading nothing but mysteries gets old pretty quickly." Akai said, setting down the reader. No point in continuing to read when someone was trying to talk to him. Besides, when he glanced at the clock, he noticed it was about time for his wound to be redressed, and there were bandages in the blonde's arms.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Rei groaned as he sat down and began to carefully remove Akai's arm from its sling.

"Yes, well," the injured man attempted to bite back at his pseudo-doctor's words with sarcasm, but all he really managed to do was bite back the groans of pain. On the other hand, his winces were really obvious. "As a detective, you should know better than to make assumptions."

Their conversation about sexuality continued in a very stilted and awkward vein after that, but it was the first time they'd had a genuine connection. It was possibly one of the weirdest things for two law enforcement officials to bond over, but it was also the one thing that finally cracked Rei Furuya's almost impenetrable walls. Yes, he still hated Akai for what he had done to Scotch, but for the first time ever, he felt a sort of pity for the other man.

Having a non-heterosexual orientation was never easy, but in some ways, it was worse being bisexual. As a gay man the blonde had thought he'd heard all the stupid, rude, and bigoted things people came up with, but no one had ever called him a liar, told him he just hadn't made up his mind yet, said his sexuality was invalid or made up, or dumped him for said sexuality. Apparently, Akai had partners not trust him because of it. Women worried about him cheating because they didn't have all the "right parts". Men worried they'd be let go if the right pair of legs and soft curves crossed Akai's path. Rei found acceptance wherever he went in the gay community, but people like Akai experienced discrimination on both sides…and for the stupidest reasons. How did the FBI agent put it? …"I'm not straight enough for heterosexuals. I'm also not gay enough for homosexuals."… Well, Rei had always known that the masses tended to be full of idiots, but he still managed to feel a bit sorry for the FBI agent.

A few days passed, and while they did not speak of their mutual interest in men again, the air of understanding between them did not dissipate. In fact, if anything, Rei's feeling toward Akai softened ever so slightly further. After all, hating someone is easiest when that's absolutely the only thing you're determined to feel towards them, but the slightest bit of understanding makes pure hatred infinitely more difficult to maintain. It can also easily pique curiosity, which will fester like a disease in the minds of those who have dedicated their lies to solving mysteries.

So even though Rei wasn't exactly eager to do so, neither man was surprised when he approached Akai to ask, "You said I wasn't the only one who lost a great deal to the Black Organization. What did you mean by that?"

"Akemi Miyano and the three billion yen heist," Akai commented; his tone was devoid of emotion, but it spoke volumes. "Do you know of it?"

"Vaguely," Rei answered. "It happened a few years back, but as I recall, its relation to the Black Organization had been miniscule. One very low-raking member of the organization and two accomplices stole three billion yen, but they all wound up murdering each other. And the money was recovered by the police before the organization could get their hands on it."

"Akemi was the mastermind behind that plan," Akai told him. "She was born into the organization. Both her parents were high-ranking members, enough to have alcoholic code names, and the were brilliant scientists, a trait they passed down to their younger daughter but not to Akemi. Their parents had died years before, and Akemi started to want to break away from the life she'd been born into. She was told that both her and her sister would be allowed to leave if the heist was successful. It was lie, of course. Akemi wasn't very valuable, but her sister was indispensable. And, well, you know how clean the organization likes to keep things. Gin Killed her after she'd cleaned up the mess from the heist."

"So, your girlfriend was killed trying to escape with her sister?" Rei asked. "It seems kind of extreme if she was born to the life."

"Well, it was my fault, after all," the FBI agent admitted, guilt and pain finally started to leak into his own voice. "At first, she was just my way in, but we actually fell in love. She knew what I was and continued dating me anyway. My cover got blown, but she continued to stay in contact with me. And well, it was clear to anyone that she wasn't just sticking around to spy on me for possibly valuable information. We were going to be together for real, after she got out. No hidden agendas. No lies. But we never got that chance."

The blonde didn't know what so say after that, and so, the two men sat in silence until Rei decided to just leave. But before he did, he squeezed Akai's shoulder in an attempt at a comforting gesture. It should be easier to hate the man now. After all, Akai knew the pain of losing his most important person. How dare he inflict that pain upon someone else? At least, that's the general tone his thoughts probably would've taken before. Now, though, hate was very obviously moving aide for understanding and empathy inside his heart.

Hearing the guilt and pain in the FBI agent's voice broke through Rei's anger and reminded him just how sharply he, too, had felt those emotions at the time of Scotch's death. It was almost enough to make the blonde cry. However, despite the kind of progress their relationship had undergone in the past few minutes, Rei refused to cry in front of Akai. He just wasn't comfortable with it. So when he felt tears prickling the corners of his eyes, he left the room, hoping the FBI agent didn't notice.

Meanwhile, Akai had looked up when Rei had squeezed his shoulder as he left, and Akai did notice the tears. It was a far cry from the anger or furious retribution he'd been expecting, and it managed to bring a small smile to his face because maybe it meant Rei didn't hate him so much anymore. The tan, blonde man had always been extremely attractive, but as he got to know him, Akai had started to fall for him. He'd always love Akemi and feel guilty towards Jodie for hurting her, but he also hadn't sentenced himself to a life of self-inflicted celibacy after Akemi's death. Of course, he didn't dare to dream that Rei would ever return his affections, but it was nice to know that he could hope that some day, the man might no longer hate him.

For his part, Rei had decided to do some actual research on Akemi Miyano and her little sister. As it turned out, Akemi had actually died after Scotch, but that knowledge did little to harden his heart toward Akai once more. On the other hand, he'd never felt more sorry for a couple of Black Organization members, and when he found a photo of Akemi's little sister, Shiho, he felt truly ashamed of himself. She was the woman he had helped Vermouth kill on the Bell Tree Express. He wondered if he should tell Akai about this…that is, if he didn't already know that the younger sister of his dead girlfriend was also no longer of this world.

There wasn't much on Akemi in the database, but Shiho Miyano's (aka Sherry's) file was a whole different story. She was an absolute genius who, at a very young age, had continue her parents' work for the organization and quickly earned her own way to an alcoholic codename. By the time she was eighteen, she'd developed APTX4869, one of their most potent poisons, before escaping after hearing the news about her elder sister's death…only to run afoul of a secret police agent who hadn't known a thing about her.

At that time, he hadn't much thought about the girl and how young she must be. He was too wrapped up in his hatred of Akai and the following of his orders. Because that's what you did to survive and keep your cover in the Black Organization. The weird thing was that the longer he stared at her picture, the more there was a familiar tingling at the back of his mind. He felt like he knew Shiho…or at least like he'd met her multiple times. However, the only time he'd ever interacted with the woman was on that stupid mystery train.

Annoyed at himself for not being able to figure it out, Rei stared and stared and stared at the picture until something clicked in his mind. Shiho Miyano looked exactly like Ai Haibara, the little girl wo lived with Professor Agasa. She was one of Conan Edogawa's friends. With that one realization, so many puzzle pieces started connecting, so many unattached strings started tying together, and all the missing pieces and extra parts pretty much fell neatly into place. Still, he wanted to double check one thing…There it was. Some of the experiments with APTX4869 had led to shrunken, rather than dead mice. So, Shiho had gambled her life to escape and won (against him too. He would be more disappointed in his lack of skills if he wasn't so relieved that she was still alive.) And one famous high school detective, Shinichi Kudo, had somehow gotten himself mixed up in the Black Organization and was now living under the guise of a grade schooler. Seems he had a lot more to discuss with Akai (and their "amazing ally") than he previously thought.

And this discovery…this knowledge that the Conan Edogawa situation was so glaringly different than what he previously thought…well, he was finally willing to listen to what Akai had to say regarding Scotch. The FBI agent, infuriating as he was, always seemed to act with a sort of honor…except in his final dealing with Scotch. Rei still highly doubted any new information would really change his mind or stop his hate. Dying was always a possibility in their line of work. He had to accept that, especially when Scotch's cover had been blown. He'd run like hell to try and save him, but Rei had known he might still be too late. However, there had been absolutely no reason why Akai would need to force his lover to commit suicide, even if it'd been to stay in character as Dai Moroboshi. Rei would never forgive Akai, never. But now, he was at least willing to listen to Akai's side of the story.

Nevertheless, neither of them would be emotionally stable enough for that conversation so soon after speaking about Akemi. So, Rei once again decided to wait a few days before broaching a new and sensitive topic. Instead, their conversations were filled with awkward, idle chatter about the books Akai was reading through. Rei still wasn't sure whether or not he should be insulted by the comment, "Of course you would pick the vampire and sorcery series that focuses more on complicated politics than on the actual sex."

Either way, the days of ignoring the elephant and silently treating Akai's shoulder came and went. It was time to revisit the past…whether or not they were both truly ready for it. Rei needed answers, and when Rei ultimately approached him, Akai was already waiting, sitting up with a serious expression. The FBI agent could obviously sense what sort of conversation they were about to have. Deciding not to beat around the bush even a little bit, the blonde just straight out said, "Tell me what happened the night Scotch died."

Akai's eyes widened slightly, and then, he looked away saying, "I don't think you want to know. It doesn't change anything, but at the same time, it could change so much."

"I need to know," Rei bit out, not wanting to admit this to the man he hated so. "If I can't kill you, the least you could do is offer me closure."

"There's a reason I haven't said anything yet," Akai warned. "And it has not been for my own sake nor because I did not think you would believe me."

"Please," Rei gritted out through clenched teeth. His hands were fisted so tight his fingernails almost drew blood. His whole body was both tense and trembling. Tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes. This was so much harder than he thought it would be. It seemed like forever before he heard the other man sigh.

"Fine," Akai acquiesced, allowing Rei's body to relax a little. "But remember – this was a time before my cover was blown, before I knew who you were, before you or Scotch knew who I am…a time when all any of us knew was that Scotch was a known agent of the Public Security Bureau."

"After I found out what he was, I decided to approach Scotch and propose working together. He thought I was just a normal agent pursuing him. We reached a stand off, during which he managed to take my only gun. I thought he was going to kill me, but he turned the gun on himself and pointed it straight at his own heart."

"I managed to grasp the barrel of the gun before he could finish pulling the trigger, but we were both using all our strength in that struggle. I started explaining who I was, how I was undercover, and my proposition. He seemed willing to listen, but then, we were both distracted by the sound of footsteps. Until that point, neither of us had relaxed our grips, but when we were both distracted, well… and in the next moment, he was dead. I found his cell phone in his chest pocket and knew he must have been protecting both precious information and people with his own death and the deliberate destruction of his cell phone. Then, you appeared on the roof with us, and well, you know the rest."

Akai's tone had been clear and measured throughout the whole story, knowing nothing could make the information easier to process. He offered no apologies, consolations, or condolences, knowing nothing could make it better. With his story finished, he only sat in silence and watched as Rei's entire being just crumpled and tears fell freely from his eyes.

"No," Rei whispered. "No. It's not true. It can't be." But it could. Rei knew better than anyone else that Scotch would have been willing to make exactly that kind of sacrifice. Akai's crime wasn't forcing Scotch to commit suicide. In fact, it wasn't a crime at all. It was a mistake, just as Akai had said on the phone all those months ago. He had attempted to save Sotch, and a moment's distraction (a mistake) had caused that attempt to fail…no, it wasn't Akai's fault that Scotch was dead. It was his own. If he hadn't been so worried, so hurried…if he had been a bit later that night, Scotch could still be alive. Akai didn't deserve any of Rei's hatred, and he didn't have it anymore. No, Rei now knew who really deserved his hatred, and it was properly targeted now. All of Rei's hatred for the one responsible for Scotch's death was reserved for himself.

Seeing what was happening as the wheels turned in Rei's mind, Akai wondered if there was anything he could do. They both had traversed the same path of self-hatred, but his own also branched off with a path leading to Gin. Before, Rei had one reserved for Akai but not anymore. Unfortunately, the FBI agent really didn't know enough about the blonde to help. Although they had been conversing with each other over the last several weeks, the blonde had always been extremely guarded. Still, he knew from personal experience that it wasn't good to let the hatred consume you. So, he did what he could and asked Rei to make him something to eat. At least now, the other man had something to do.

Nodding woodenly, Rei stood up and did as he was asked without thought. The next month continued much in the same vein. Through his haze of renewed guilt and self-hatred, Rei took care of his injured house guest. Sometimes, it was the only reason he got up in the morning. Azusa, bless her heart, had noticed something was horribly wrong and insisted (however misguidedly) he take a nice, long vacation. Vermouth had already told him to lay low for a while again, so there was nothing to do with his undercover job either. And to make up for the fact that Rei suddenly had a lot more free time, Akai became much more demanding as a patient.

Rei was actually grateful for that once he was able to get back into a semi-decent frame of mind. He probably wouldn't have survived that horrible month, and if it hadn't been for Akai's sudden apparent selfishness, he would been in a truly dangerous place both mentally and physically. With the haze now gone from his mind, Rei felt his pain much more sharply, but he could also think much more clearly. When he showed up in the guest room with a clear head for the first time in a month, Akai was obviously relieved.

After that, it was a matter of very little time before Akai was healed and mobile enough to return to his life as Subaru Okiya. Both men were regretful, but they couldn't exist within the now tranquil world that the apartment had become forever. They had to get back to their real lives.

As Akai was putting on his disguise that day, Rei approached him suddenly from behind, grabbed him, and kissed him. Akai's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly fell into the kiss. His recently healed hand fell to Rei's hip, and his other reached up to tangle in that beautiful, soft blonde hair. Rei's own hands, that had formerly been fisting Akai's shirt, moved to cradle the other man's cheeks tenderly.

It was perfect, Akai thought, but it was wrong. Sighing internally, Akai pulled gently away from the kiss and fought not to be too affected by the disappointment in Rei Furuya's eyes.

"I want to continue this," Akai insisted, voice full of compassion, want, and regret. "Really, I do. But you're still in a vulnerable state after learning about Scotch's death. I know. I've been there. Believe me, I am very interested in you, but I don't want to take advantage of you."

"I'm fine," Rei muttered. "Completely…thanks to you."

"You still hate yourself though," Akai argued.

"Pot – kettle," Rei stated with a smirk, pointing toward Akai and then himself in turn, but the FBI agent only sighed. No matter how correct Rei was in his accusation, Akai still didn't feel comfortable starting a relationship with the other man when he could still see such obvious fragility and vulnerability in those blue-gray eyes.

"Fine," the blonde man relented. "We'll wait a bit, but you best say yes when I do ask you out on an actual date."

"Definitely," Akai promised.

And a few weeks later when Subaru Okiya walked into Poirot for a cup of iced coffee on a hot summer's day, Tooru Amuro asked him out for dinner the following night in front of the whole shop. Subaru Okiya only smiled and said, "Nothing would make me happier."

A/N: Hello and welcome to the end of Red Bourbon. I hoped you enjoyed this little fanfic of mine that was written for my awesome friend, Ayumi-chan, as part of an art trade. It took longer than expected, but I think it turned out well. And as always, I ask…

I would really love for someone to seriously critique my work. It doesn't have to stop at constructive criticism. I'd love for someone to really pick apart my work and tell me every little thing they hated, what needs to be improved, and what parts of my writing they liked best. Believe me when I say I love all reviews, and it's really nice to know people appreciate my work. However, I'm a far cry from being perfect, and there's always room to improve. Also, if I can get better, I can give better fan fiction to my readers. Anyway, thanks again for reading this fan fiction and hopefully you seriously considered my request.


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